Thursday, August 29, 2013

Western Political Science Association Conference Undergrad Presentation Opportunities

The Western Political Science Association will be in Seattle in April, and they are having a special poster session for undergraduates to present their research.  A good way to experience conferences (the good and bad) and get some exposure for your work.
If you're interested check it out here: http://wpsa.research.pdx.edu/meet/ 
Deadline is September 16.  Their form is a bit convoluted, so if you have any questions contact a department faculty member for help.

Critical languages: What do the spies speak?

This is an interesting piece on what second languages are most commonly known in the intelligence agencies. Three times as much Spanish as Chinese--
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-switch/wp/2013/08/29/spy-agencies-have-fewer-than-2000-people-proficient-in-middle-eastern-languages/

Middle East Student Conference in DC in September--ALL EXPENSES PAID--

From PG major Maddie Waddell:

I'm writing about a conference held in Washington DC where you can meet some really great speakers- including members of the US, Israeli, and Palestinian government! The conference is run by a political organization called J Street which advocates for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

The conference will be September 28th-October 1st and the cost of everything-including the flight to DC is highly subsidized so that the costs is almost nothing! 

Everyone is welcome but to receive a travel stipend you must apply before September 1st.

Those interested should check out the webpage here and contact Maddie Waddell- mwaddell@pugetsound.edu ASAP!

 http://conference.jstreet.org/

Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Internship Opportunity in Congressman Denny Heck’s Lacey, WA and Lakewood, WA offices


The District Offices of Congressman Heck are pleased to announce that we are now accepting fall internship applications.

Candidates should have an interest in the legislative process and civic service, possess excellent writing and communication skills, and work well as part of a team.

Interns in the District Offices have an opportunity to work in constituent services, including working with caseworkers to help constituents with issues relating to federal agencies. Depending on interests, interns also have an opportunity to participate in community outreach, attending meeting and events with staff and Congressman Heck.

Other intern duties are administrative: assisting staff with answering phones, scanning/copying, and other tasks as needed.

The intern can work with staff to create a flexible schedule for 10-20+ hours per week within our business hours (M-F 8AM-5PM).

Applicants must submit the attached internship application packet, including a letter of interest and resume to the following address:

Congressman Denny Heck
Attn: Beth Schimke
420 College St SE, Suite 3000
Lacey, WA 98503

Applications will be accepted until positions are filled.

If you have any questions please contact me by phone at (360) 459-8514 or by email at beth.schimke@mail.house.gov.

Beth Schimke
Constituent Services & Internship Coordinator
Congressman Denny Heck (WA-10)
420 College Street SE, Suite 3000
Lacey, WA  98503
(P) 360-459-8514 | (F) 360-459-8581

Intern for Carnegie Center for Global Policy in China

Just came across this--deadline is September 15 for this fall, so something to consider for next year?
Link is here:
http://www.carnegietsinghua.org/about/index.cfm?fa=beijinginterns&lang=en



The Carnegie–Tsinghua Center for Global Policy is seeking highly qualified and motivated students to apply for its academic-year-long Global Intern Program. Selected interns will have the opportunity to work on key foreign policy issues, to interact with senior Chinese and international scholars and experts, and to become an integral part of a growing global network of Carnegie centers, which has offices in Washington DC, Moscow, Beirut, Beijing, and Brussels.
General requirements for all global interns:
  • Serve as an intern from about September 2013 – June 2014
  • Be able to contribute 20hrs/week to the center
  • Be enrolled in a college or university or a recent graduate
  • Have a background in international relations or a desire to work in the field
  • Submit an application no later than 12:00pm EST September 15th, 2013
The application process is extremely competitive. Individuals should have a keen interest in international affairs and international security. Applicants should have near-native English writing skills; equivalent level knowledge of Chinese is an asset. Applications will be judged on past academic performance, relevant academic study and/or work experience, grades, and recommendations. Personal interviews may be conducted.

Monday, August 26, 2013

Good Advice: How to Treat Freshmen

From the blog Ask the Past:

Statute Forbidding Any One to Annoy or Unduly Injure the Freshmen. Each and every one attached to this university is forbidden to offend with insult, torment, harass, drench with water or urine, throw on or defile with dust or any filth, mock by whistling, cry at them with a terrifying voice, or dare to molest in any way whatsoever physically or severely, any, who are called freshmen, in the market, streets, courts, colleges and living houses, or any place whatsoever, and particularly in the present college, when they have entered in order to matriculate or are leaving after matriculation."

 Leipzig University Statute (1495)

Thursday, August 22, 2013

Interning in King County--

Thanks to Chad Harper for his input below--

Hi Prof. O’Neil – 

I spent this past summer as a paid intern at the King County Council for Councilmember Julia Patterson. I highly recommend an internship with any council member to any Politics and Government major interested in local government, public health, transportation, urban planning, criminal justice, or environmental politics. This was one of the few internships where about 80% of the work was actually substantive and required little, if any, “grunt work.” I spent the vast majority of my time researching issues that interested me and participated in staff meetings with Councilmember Patterson and her staff and was able to make genuinely meaningful contributions to the office! Unfortunately, Councilmember Patterson is retiring, but I’m more than happy to point any Logger towards the staff of councilmembers that will still be there!


Chad Harper ‘13

Wednesday, August 21, 2013

Internships with Fix Tacoma Streets



YES ON PROP. 1
FIX TACOMA STREETS NOW
Tacoma Street Improvements & Safety Upgrades


Campaign Internship Position Description

            Location: Tacoma, Wash

            Contact: Resumes/Letters of Interest should be submitted to fixtacomastreets@gmail.com and addressed to Dillon Gilbert. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis.

            About us:

Fix Tacoma Streets is a campaign in support of Tacoma’s Proposition 1, on the ballot this November. Proposition 1, if passed, would:

·         Fix over 3,600+ potholes annually.
·         Repave an additional 510 neighborhood blocks annually.
·         Add 56 flashing beacons at neighborhood schools and community centers.
·         Synchronize traffic lights at busy intersections to keep our roads flowing.
·         Restriping and adding safety crosswalks city-wide near parks, schools, community centers and other high-traffic areas.
·         More information can be found at http://www.cityoftacoma.org/cms/one.aspx?objectId=34874.

Internships with Fix Tacoma Streets will include:

·         Managing and developing social media platforms and content.
·         Assisting in overall day-to-day operation of campaign website.
·         Executing campaign outreach and field program
·         Coordinating some fundraising efforts and event planning

About you:

An interested applicant should have, above all, a good sense of humor, a willingness to put in hard work and an overall interest in the following-

·         Using social media tools like Facebook and Twitter to inspire action and spread a message
·         A desire to learn more about the operation of political campaigns and grassroots organizing
·         Local government and public policy

This is an unpaid position. We are more than happy to work with prospective interns to make this count for university credit. Interested applicants should send a one-page letter of interest describing your interest in learning about political campaigns. For extra credit, feel free to include a resume! All applications should be sent to Dillon Gilbert at fixtacomastreets@gmail.com.

Monday, August 19, 2013

DC Internship, National Council for International Visitors

This comes to us from an alum working there.  If you want further details contact Professor O'Neil.

http://www.nciv.org/employment-a-internships.html#Internships

The National Council for International Visitors (NCIV) is now accepting interns for the Fall 2013 Semester. All interns are expected to work for a minimum of eight weeks, but ten weeks or more is preferred.

Extension beyond one semester is not possible. The internship position is open to both U.S. and non-U.S. citizens. Please note, NCIV cannot help non-U.S. citizens obtain visas.

 Successful applicants are invited to work with NCIV for one semester. Interns take on a particularly significant role at NCIV. With a small but dedicated full-time staff, we depend on our interns.

Consisting of a balance of short-term tasks and long-term projects, NCIV interns develop their communications, event services, member services, research, nonprofit, advocacy, and public diplomacy skills. Long term projects are undertaken depending on a particular intern’s backgrounds, skills, and interests. In addition, interns are also assigned some daily administrative functions.

Interns are often invited to attend special educational and cultural events outside of the office. Internship starting and ending dates are flexible based on the intern’s academic calendar.

 Full-time and part-time internship opportunities are available (part-time interns are strongly encouraged to work at least three full days per week). Stipends and scholarships are available.

 Qualifications
• Strong writing, communication, and organizational skills
 • Experience with MS Office (Access, Word, & Excel)
 • Background and interest in citizen diplomacy, public diplomacy, nonprofit leadership, global engagement, or international education and exchange
 • Ability to work under minimal supervision • Ability to meet deadlines
 • Event planning background/interest desired, but not essential • Experience with graphic design (In Design, Photoshop, Dreamweaver) desired, but not essential
 • Flexibility and willingness to work beyond the parameters of a job description
 • Maturity and a sense of humor

Tuesday, August 13, 2013

From Freshman to Graduate: some employment advice--

An alum has sent along the following article from the Washington Post. Here's an excerpt:

 As an economics reporter, I feel compelled to say that if you’re interested in math or science or engineering or computers, and you have the aptitude for the coursework, then, please, for the love of GDP, give a STEM major a shot. The economy needs more math and science grads to drive the big innovations that will help America prosper. 

 As a former political-science major, I’m happy to tell everyone who doesn’t fall into that camp that there’s hope for you in the job market, too. But you’ll have a much better chance if you start thinking now about how to use your time in school to hone skills that will improve your employability — no matter what your major. 

Consider this your step-by-step guide to making your college career work for getting you work, with the help of career counselors, academic research and a trove of economic data... 

Read the whole thing here: http://wapo.st/1czSaoH

Monday, August 12, 2013

Part-time Internship in Kent, WA

Subject: Internship
To: "Patrick O'Neil" <upspatrick@gmail.com>

Wade Schwartz for Kent City Council Position #2
Campaign Manager
Part-time unpaid internship
10-15 hours per week
August 31st – November 5th
Description:
Wade Schwartz is looking for an intern Campaign Manager through election day.  Responsibilities will include fundraising, event organizing, managing volunteers, data entry, doorbelling and phonebanking.  Will require reliable transportation to and around Kent.  Some campaign experience is preferred- volunteer experience is fine- but we’re looking for someone with energy and a passion for getting involved in local politics.

Please contact Nic Van Putten at 253-459-4758 or Nic@ProgressiveStrategiesNW.com to apply.

Great news from Jake Snider '13!

Jake will begin a Master's Program in International Political Economy at King's College London, in September.

Don Share

Friday, August 09, 2013

Tahrir to Tehran

Professor O'Neil here--
Last winter I participated in a symposium at the Annenberg Center called "From Tahrir to Tehran" that focused on public spaces and political change in the region.  My talk is up on YouTube if you are interested.

A few pictures from Graduation 2013--

Find them here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/upspolitics/sets/72157634995728975/

Friday, August 02, 2013

A little publicity for '13 grad Benjamin Anderstone...

Benjamin is running Anderstone Strategies, a political consulting firm in Seattle.   This comes from webworld:

"Seattle Weekly, after a good deal of electoral number-crunching and with the generous assistance of King County Elections and a talented political demography guru named Ben Anderstone, unearthed a precinct in this blue-tinted town that has an uncanny penchant for voting time and time and again for the winning candidate."